Top cash ISAs compared

About Top cash ISAs compared

Cash ISAs look simple and rank crowded. This ranking covers 12 providers, and their headline rates differ widely: the ranking median is 4.25%, while the gap between the weakest and the strongest offer on the list is large. The number on the advert is only the first thing to check. The trade-off that settles most choices is access. Accounts that pay a lot often want a big opening deposit, an advised long holding period, or a charge if you cash out early, and the easiest accounts tend to pay less. Providers here split on that point as much as on price. A second split is where the money sits. Several of these accounts are based in the United Kingdom and covered by the FSCS. The rest sit in Portugal, Germany, Cyprus and Poland, where the home deposit guarantee applies instead, and the Swiss entry is a pension account outside the UK tax wrapper. Fees are lighter than most readers expect. Monthly fees are free at 60% of the list, and the median opening deposit here is €34.31.

How we picked

Score totals come from three weighted parts. Cost carries 35% of the total, the offer carries 25%, and trust carries 40%. Trust weighs the most, so a strong rate cannot lift a provider far on its own, and a familiar name cannot hold a high place when the money is hard to reach. Cost covers the rate you are paid, any monthly or account charge, and the deposit needed to open. Offer covers access: how many withdrawals you can make, how quickly money arrives, whether interest is paid monthly, and whether a new customer boost applies. Trust covers the legal entity behind the account, how long it has been running, and the deposit protection attached to the balance. Every figure comes from the provider's own pages, its regulator listing, or its legal notice, and each one is shown against the brand it belongs to. Rates are variable at 90% of the accounts here, so any advertised figure can move with the market. Partners are listed first, then everyone else in score order. Partner count in this ranking is 0, and 10 of the 12 providers carry a licence.

Our top picks

1. 2. Chip (US)

   Chip (US) is fifth in this ranking, and it brings the more generous entry offer of the two Chip accounts here: a variable rate of 4.5% with a new customer boost added to the standard rate for a set period, interest paid monthly, and a monthly charge of £0. It is a flexible Cash ISA held by Chip Financial Wealth Ltd, with the balance under FSCS up to GBP 85,000 and support on email, phone and help centre. The catch is eligibility, since the account is app only and open to adults who are UK tax residents, which narrows who can use the boost. Chip, next in this ranking, publishes the same headline rate, offers chat as well, and states a minimum deposit of £1.

   • Headline rate: 4.5%
   • Rate type: Variable
   • Deposit protection: FSCS up to GBP 85,000

   Pros

   • No monthly charge, at £0, on a flexible Cash ISA
   • Headline rate of 4.5% sits well above 3% for savings across the site
   • Interest is paid monthly, so returns reach you through the year rather than at the end
   • Access runs by app, with email, phone and help centre available for questions
   • The account is a isa, so savings are sheltered from tax

   Cons

   • The rate is variable, so the return can move rather than stay locked for a term
   • The higher headline depends on a new customer boost that ends after a set period
   • Access is app only, which suits people comfortable managing money on a phone
   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre only, with no branch counter for in person help

2. T23. Trading 212

   Trading 212 holds third in this ranking because the cash side is refreshingly plain. Money goes in and out whenever you choose, interest is paid monthly, the minimum deposit is £1, and the setup is commission free. The balance is held by Trading 212 Markets Ltd under FSCS up to GBP 85,000, and the company has been trading since 2006. The rate is variable, so the reward can move, and accounts of the kind that trade lose money at 70.15%, which argues for keeping savings on the cash side rather than invested. Support runs on help centre. Tandem Bank, next in this ranking, publishes a rate and adds phone support.

   • Minimum deposit: £1
   • Stock trade fee: £0
   • Account fee: £0

   Pros

   • Stock trades cost £0 and the account fee is £0, so holding a portfolio costs nothing
   • The inactivity fee is £0, so a dormant account is not quietly charged
   • The minimum deposit is £1, far below the €10 bunq asks
   • Cash can be held in a Cash ISA that stays open for withdrawals, on a variable rate with the interest credited monthly
   • Features listed are fractional shares, demo account and mobile app, and the platforms are Trading 212 App and Web Platform

   Cons

   • Support runs on help centre only, so there is no live phone or chat route
   • Trading 212 Markets Ltd is authorised by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission on MiCA CASP 21380045KC28948FNE32, so the Financial Conduct Authority is not the only supervisor involved
   • Markets cover stocks, etfs and forex, which leaves funds, bonds and options outside the range offered here
   • The £1 minimum deposit is a floor rather than a deal size, and the Cash ISA rate is variable

3. NN4. Nationale-Nederlanden life PL

   Nationale-Nederlanden lands seventh in this ranking as the Polish entry, and its shape is unlike the cash accounts around it. IKE and IKZE open fully online, deposits arrive by bank transfer or card, and the money goes into the Nationale-Nederlanden DFE fund rather than sitting in a cash pot, so the balance moves with the fund. Entry starts at PLN 150, the rate is variable, and the provider has been running since 1994. Deposits are covered by EU DGS up to EUR 100,000. The account runs on a monthly fee model, and support runs on phone and help centre. Moneybox, next in this ranking, is a UK cash ISA with a published rate of 4% and no monthly charge.

   • Premium from: PLN 39
   • Insurance types: Life, Health, Critical-illness, and 4 more
   • Provider type: Insurer

   Pros

   • A claim can be started through online claim form, customer zone Moje NN and advisor or branch, so a payout does not depend on reaching a branch.
   • The provider sells life, health and critical illness, letting one household place life, health, income and property risk with the same insurer.
   • Life sums insured reach up to over PLN 1,000,000, and entry ages run 3 months to 71 years, so cover can start early and rise later.
   • Money on deposit is protected: the stated cover is EU DGS up to EUR 100,000.

   Cons

   • Ranked 138 of 251 brands on starting premium, the entry price is above most of the list.
   • Support runs on phone and help centre only, with no chat or email listed for routine questions.
   • The retirement return is variable, so a weak year reduces the balance instead of leaving it fixed.
   • The balance sits in the house fund on a variable return, and retail investors across the listings lose a median of 70.15%.

4. 5. Moneyfarm

   Moneyfarm closes this ranking as a straightforward flexible Cash ISA, with its numbers at the lower end of the UK field. The rate is 3.87% variable, the monthly charge is £0, and the opening deposit starts at £500, which puts it out of reach for a small first balance. Deposits are covered by FSCS up to GBP 85,000 and the balance is held by MFM Investment Ltd. Access is the trade-off: a limited number of withdrawals or transfers out each year, with top-ups allowed at any time, and support on email, phone and help centre. frankly.ch, the member above it here, pays 0.15% but sits in a Swiss pension wrapper rather than a UK tax wrapper.

   • Management fee: 0.1% to 0.45%
   • Minimum investment: £500
   • Regulators: Financial Conduct Authority

   Pros

   • The monthly fee is £0, so there is no monthly account charge to plan around.
   • The Cash ISA pays a variable rate of 3.87%, where the site median is 3%.
   • Money in and out is listed as Free deposits and withdrawals, so no charge applies to funding or taking money out.
   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so help is not confined to a single channel.
   • Protection is FSCS up to GBP 85,000 under the Financial Conduct Authority, which sets a stated ceiling on cover in the UK.

   Cons

   • Trading is a paid extra: a stock trade costs £3.95, where the median across the site is €0.
   • The minimum investment of £500 sits well above the typical starting amount on the site, which is €25.
   • The management fee of 0.1% to 0.45% runs every year, where eToro and Empower Personal Dashboard list fees of 0% and 0%.
   • A currency conversion fee of 0.7% applies, which adds a further layer on top of the management fee of 0.1% to 0.45%.

5. 6. Chip

   Chip earns sixth in this ranking on flexibility rather than on the top rate. The Smart Cash ISA pays 4.5% variable, calculated daily and paid monthly, with a monthly charge of £0 and a minimum deposit of £1. Withdrawals are on demand and arrive the next working day, quicker than most of the accounts below it here. Deposits sit under FSCS up to GBP 85,000, and the provider has been running since 2017. Support runs on email, chat and help centre, so there is a community as well as written answers. Nationale-Nederlanden, next in this ranking, also opens fully online, but the balance goes into a fund rather than paying a cash rate.

   • Headline rate: 4.5%
   • Rate type: Variable
   • Minimum deposit: £1

   Pros

   • The 4.5% variable rate is above the 3.29% at Wise and the 3.01% at bunq.
   • A minimum deposit of £1 makes the account straightforward to open and top up.
   • As a isa it takes withdrawals on demand, arriving the next working day, with interest calculated daily and paid monthly.
   • Deposits are covered to FSCS up to GBP 85,000, and the same limit is listed for investments as FSCS up to GBP 85,000.
   • Cash savings and investing share one app, with investing accounts offered as isa and sipp.

   Cons

   • Help runs on email, chat and help centre only, so there is no phone line for anyone who prefers to talk to someone.
   • The rate is variable, so the 4.5% is a current figure and can move in either direction.
   • Ranked on headline rate Chip comes 113 of 488, so the 4.5% is a strong offer without being top of the field.
   • Investing accounts sit alongside the cash ISA, and the typical retail loss rate on these listings is 70.15%, so deposited cash and invested money in the same app behave very differently.

6. 7. Finanzguru AT

   Finanzguru AT takes second in this ranking because the mix is hard to argue with: a fixed rate of 7%, a monthly charge of €0, and a simple start, since registration is free and needs no authentication while Sparbooster credit can be withdrawn from a small amount. Deposits are covered by EU DGS up to EUR 100,000. The trade-off is reach: support runs on email and help centre only, so anything beyond a written answer takes longer here than at most providers lower down. Trading 212, the next member of this ranking, keeps the cash easy to reach, with instant access and interest paid monthly.

   • Headline rate: 7%
   • Rate type: Fixed
   • Deposit protection: EU DGS up to EUR 100,000

   Pros

   • The fixed headline rate of 7% exceeds bunq at 3.01% and Wise at 3.29%.
   • The monthly fee is €0, so the account model has no monthly charge.
   • Savings deposits have EU deposit protection of EU DGS up to EUR 100,000.
   • Investment balances have EU investor protection of EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
   • Sparbooster credit is withdrawable, adding flexibility beyond the headline rate.

   Cons

   • The rate is fixed at fixed, so it may not suit savers who want a variable rate.
   • Support runs through email and help centre only, with no phone support listed.
   • The deposit protection limit is EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, so larger balances may receive less cover.
   • The listed investment protection is EU ICS up to EUR 20,000, below the savings protection of EU DGS up to EUR 100,000.

7. 8. Tandem Bank

   Tandem Bank sits fourth in this ranking as a UK bank rather than an app wrapper, with a published variable rate of 4% and a balance covered by FSCS up to GBP 85,000. Access is the strength: withdrawals round the clock with no cap inside the same tax year, and support runs on chat, email and phone, one of the widest sets here. It has been running since 2014. What the terms hold back is the card, since replacements are limited within the same tax year even though withdrawals are not. Chip (US), the next member of this ranking, is app only and aimed at adults who are UK tax residents, and it adds a new customer boost to its standard rate.

   • Headline rate: 4%
   • Rate type: Variable
   • Term: 36 to 360 months

   Pros

   • The cash ISA pays a variable 4%, above the site benchmark of 3% on a rate that can move with the base rate
   • Access is easy: money moves around the clock, with withdrawals uncapped and card replacements allowed through the tax year
   • A soft prequalification check (soft prequal) means a rate indication without a hard search on your file
   • Deposits are covered by FSCS up to GBP 85,000, and the bank is licensed by the Prudential Regulation Authority in the UK

   Cons

   • The rate is variable, so the 4% can fall and savings income is not locked in
   • 9.1% on borrowing is well above the site benchmark of 15.5%, so credit costs more here than with cheaper lenders
   • Loan amounts run £10,000 to £250,000, so the smallest and largest deals on the table sit outside this range
   • The variable rate leaves 4% exposed to base rate moves, unlike a fixed deal

8. 9. frankly.ch

   frankly.ch is ninth in this ranking, and the rate is the plain reason. Its Swiss pension account pays 0.15% variable, the lowest headline rate in this ranking, and it works on a pension basis rather than the same terms as the accounts above it. It is fully digital through app or web, runs on a monthly charge of CHF 0, and takes a minimum deposit of CHF 1. The provider is a Zuercher Kantonalbank pension foundation, and support runs on email, phone and help centre, with both email and phone listed. Moneyfarm, the next member of this ranking, is the lowest paying of the UK cash ISAs here.

   • Headline rate: 0.15%
   • Rate type: Variable
   • Minimum deposit: CHF 1

   Pros

   • The monthly fee is CHF 0, so there is no standing charge on the account.
   • The account is fully digital by app or web, with no minimum deposit and no minimum term.
   • A variable rate means the return can move rather than being locked for a set period.
   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so phone, email and a help centre are all available.
   • The minimum deposit of CHF 1 keeps the entry point very low.

   Cons

   • The headline rate of 0.15% sits well below the 3.29% from Wise and the 3.01% from bunq.
   • A variable rate leaves the return exposed to policy moves rather than locking it in.
   • The balance sits inside a isa wrapper held by Sparen 3 pension foundation of Zuercher Kantonalbank, so the money is tied to retirement saving rather than sitting as plain cash savings.

9. 10. Moneybox

   Moneybox is eighth in this ranking and argues its case on account size rather than rate. The Cash ISA pays 4% variable with a monthly charge of £0, and deposits are protected by FSCS up to GBP 85,000. Two conditions matter here: the opening deposit starts at £500, and the rate holds only for a set number of withdrawals a year, with a lower variable rate applying past that or if the balance drops below a stated level. Support runs on help centre only, so a question that needs a person goes no further than an article. frankly.ch, next in this ranking, offers email and phone support and asks for no minimum term.

   • Headline rate: 4%
   • Rate type: Variable
   • Minimum deposit: £500

   Pros

   • A 4% variable rate, above the savings median of 3%.
   • Monthly fee of £0, so no standing charge.
   • Deposits covered by FSCS up to GBP 85,000.
   • Investments from £1 at a 0.15% management fee.
   • Support runs on a help centre rather than a phone line.

   Cons

   • The rate is variable, so nothing is locked in if rates fall.
   • Exceeding the withdrawal allowance or dropping under the balance floor cuts the rate sharply.
   • Support runs on a help centre only, with no phone line listed.
   • The cash ISA asks for a minimum deposit of £500.

What to look for

Read the rate, then read what qualifies it

The ranking median is 4.25%, the lower quartile is 3.97% and the upper quartile is 5.12%. Anything well past the upper quartile deserves a second look, especially with 90% of the accounts here paying a variable rate that can fall.

Check what you need to start

The median opening deposit in this ranking is €34.31 and the upper quartile is €581.09. A large entry figure only matters to readers starting small, so match the minimum to the balance you already hold and treat the advertised rate as the reward for that choice.

Count the withdrawals before you need them

Access is where cash ISAs differ most, so read the withdrawal allowance, how fast money lands and whether the rate drops once you take money out. Support tells you how hard it is to ask: a help centre alone, as at help centre, means reading articles instead of reaching a person.

Look for a monthly charge

Monthly fees are free at 60% of the providers here, and fixed rate products make up 10% of the list. A monthly charge looks harmless on paper, so price it against a modest balance rather than against the headline rate.

Find the legal entity behind the balance

10 of the 12 providers here carry a licence, and each card names the entity that holds the account. Protection attaches to that entity, not to the brand, so read the legal entity line next to the deposit protection line before opening anything.

Separate a cash account from an investment one

Every account listed is an ISA at 100%, but not all of them hold cash. Nationale-Nederlanden puts the balance into a fund, and frankly.ch runs a pension wrapper, so in both cases the money can rise and fall rather than pay a set rate.

Frequently asked questions

Top cash ISAs compared by country

• Germany
• Italy
• United Kingdom

Providers compared head to head

• Scottish Friendly vs Nationale-Nederlanden life PL

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV